Money Box

With changes to the stamp duty threshold, some of the UK’s biggest mortgage lenders halting new home loans, and some economists predicting interest rates could double by spring, what does this all mean for you?Our panel of experts hear concerns and questions from listeners about the housing market volatility. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporter: Katie Barnfield Producer: Amber Mehmood Editor: Clare Worden

Paul Lewis has full details of what the mini budget will mean for your finances including changing tax rates, stamp duty alterations and support for those on low incomes. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Sandra Hardial Editor: Clare Worden (First broadcast Saturday 24th September 2022)

Ten million people would struggle to cope in a cashless society even though only 17% of payments are not made with notes and coins, the Royal Society of Arts found.With thousands of bank branch closures in recent years, and access to cash withdrawals under threat, we discuss if we’re ready to abandon cash. Dan Whitworth is joined by a panel of experts to hear callers experiences and thoughts on the UK becoming a cashless society. With Natalie Ceeney CBE, Chair of Cash Action Group and Mike Chambers, chief executive of payment consultants Northey Point. Presenter: Dan Whitworth Producer: Amber Mehmood Editor: Clare Worden

As the Government begins a sector review Money Box explores personal insolvency options and why some are much more expensive than others, plus what is a deed of assignment and might you have agreed to one? And Paul Lewis investigates a new fraud involving buy now pay later companies.Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Sandra Hardial Editor: Clare Worden(First broadcast, 12pm Saturday 17th September 2022)

Today on Money Box we will mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II by looking at what will change – from our stamps to our passports. We'll speak to Dominic Chorney - an Ancient Coin Specialist at Baldwin's - one of the largest coin dealers and auction houses in the world. We'll also get reaction the government announcement on energy bills - answering your questions - email moneybox@bbc.co.uk.Plus, more than fifty thousand people have applied for an interest free loan to help them pay for food at the supermarket Iceland. We'll speak to Simon Dukes, the Chief Executive of the lender Fair For You. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Sandra Hardial Producer: Clare Worden Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast 12noon, Saturday 10th September, 2022)

The UK Inflation rate has hit 10.1%, the highest it’s been for 40 years, and it’s set to go even higher. In this programme, our panel of experts hear about your saving habits and answer your questions on how to protect your savings from the record levels of inflation we now have.Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, Mat Megens, CEO and founder of HyperJar, and Bukiie Smart, personal finance expert, will answer your questions. Presenter: Adam Shaw Producer: Amber Mehmood Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 7th September, 2022)

Millions of people living in social housing in England could see increases to their rent capped next year. A consultation has been launched by the Government. If the plans go ahead it would protect 3.8 million households from a rise of potentially more than 10 percent. We'll speak to renters on a housing estate in Cheshire and get reaction from the National Housing Federation and the Local Government Association. If you're a pensioner you may have heard about extra money you could get to help pay your heating bills. The Winter Fuel Payment is higher this year meaning people who're eligible could get up to £600 depending on their circumstances. To qualify you must have been born on or before a specific date set by the government - which this year is 25th September 1956. We've been contacted by two people who reach pension age this winter but are unhappy because they don't fit that criteria. We'll get a response from the Department for Work and Pensions.Plus, we'd like to hear from you about your saving h

In this programme we'll provide answers and advice for those worried about the cost of energy. Household energy bills will rise again this autumn to two and a half times what they were last year. Bills for businesses are already climbing. Mike Foster, an energy analyst from Energy & Utilities Alliance, and Amy Taylor, a debt advisor and Chair of Greater Manchester Money Advice Group, will answer your questions. Email moneybox@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Amber Mehmood Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 31st August, 2022)

In this special programme we'll answer your questions and provide advice for those worried about the cost of energy. Ofgem has announced that the typical household energy bill for people in England, Wales and Scotland will hit £3,549 a year from 1 October. People on prepayment meters will typically pay an additional £59 a year on top of that. Adam Scorer from the fuel poverty charity National Energy Action and Kathryn Porter from Watt-Logic, an energy analyst who's worked for EDF Energy and Centrica, will answer your questions. We'll get the latest from Westminster on what financial support people can expect this winter. And we'll hear more on the "warm banks" being set up by councils, community groups and libraries, for people to spend time in if they can't heat their homes.Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporter: Hannah Mullane Researcher: Eimear Devlin Editor: Jess Quayle(First broadcast 12pm on Saturday 27th August)

A scheme offering interest-free loans to the financially vulnerable is being expanded to reach up to 20,000 people. After a successful trial at South Manchester Credit Union the No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) will be rolled out across the UK from September. It's backed by the Treasury but will be run by credit unions and other lenders. The aim is to offer emergency loans to people who would normally be turned down because they can't afford the interest payments. We'll speak to Economic Secretary to the Treasury John Glen.As a new survey, commissioned by the BBC, suggests half of people working are planning to increase their hours to boost their income and almost one in three people are thinking about taking a second job, we'll hear from the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group about the implications for tax and benefits.More on how thousands of people may be able to boost their state pension by paying extra National Insurance Contributions. Paying just one missing year can mean an extra £275 a year for your pension.P

In England and Wales the school summer holiday is just beginning but Scotland and Northern Ireland are already well into their long and, often costly, summer.But for some families the challenge isn’t just keeping the kids busy, it’s keeping them fed – particularly when food prices are rising.Felicity Hannah, along with a panel of experts, are looking at what support is out there to help with food poverty and holiday hunger.Panel:Dr Megan Blake – Senior Lecturer, Food Security ExpertBilly McGranaghan – Founder of Dad’s HouseJonathan Sharples – Community Support WorkerReporter: Dan WhitworthProducer: Amber MehmoodEditor: Elisabeth Mahy

Food banks across the UK have told Money Box they are facing increased demand, but falling donations, as the cost of living crisis bites people across the income range. This research, which took place in June, covered 116 out of 505 organisations which are part of IFAN - the Independent Food Aid Network. Those 116 organisations cover 203 food banks across the UK and 9 out of 10 of them told us they had seen an increase in demand since the start of this year. More than half said they've also seen seen food donations fall. IFAN, a registered charity and anti-poverty campaign group, helps run food banks which tend to be run by volunteers across local communities. For context, we don't know how many food banks there are in the UK, but the Trussell Trust, which has its own network of more than 1,400 of them, recently reported giving out more than 2.1 million food parcels in the year to March. We reported on Money Box a couple of weeks ago that energy prices are expected to rise substantially in October and then ag

Being transgender or non-binary means you can have a lot of extra things to manage and finances, along with the admin involved, can be a big one.Felicity Hannah is joined by a panel of experts to discuss changing your name and gender at the bank, the lack of options when filling in forms, and raising money for medical care.Panel:jane fae – Director – TransActualCleo Madeleine – Spokesperson – Gendered Intelligence More info:https://genderedintelligence.co.uk/ https://www.transactual.org.uk/

Families on a low income face spending more than a quarter of the money they have left after paying their mortgage or rent on energy bills from April next year. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation says it's even tougher for single people on a low income with no children, where it rises to more than two thirds. The calculations are based on latest predictions from the energy analyst Cornwall Insight, which says the typical annual bill could reach more than £3,300 in the new year. The data also shows that the government's £37 billion support package has reduced costs this year. We'll get reaction from the government, the energy regulator Ofgem, and Energy UK who represent the industry.It's not long until school's out for summer, in England and Wales at least - Scotland and Northern Ireland are already deep into that school summer break. We'll take a look at what financial support is on offer for families to help with costs.How rising inflation is pushing more people into higher tax bands and what you can do abou

After two years of Covid restrictions, much of the world has now opened back up and plenty of us are planning to take full advantage this summer.But what if it all goes wrong? What are you entitled to? What kind of insurance cover should you get? And how can you make sure you have a happy holiday?Felicity Hannah, along with a panel of experts, are here to give you the answers on all things travel.Panel:Simon Calder - travel journalistLisa Minot - travel editor - The SunProducer: Drew Hyndman and Di RichardsonEditor: Richard Fenton-Smith

It's been quite the week in politics and on this week's Money Box we'll take a look at what it could mean for your personal finances. One of the biggest challenges the next PM will face is the economy and the many households feeling the squeeze. It's thought some of the candidates favour tax cuts, but there's also pressure to increase taxes to control government borrowing. Heather Self a tax expert at Blick Rothenberg and Tom Selby from the investment company AJ Bell will discuss.According to a new report, out on Monday, more people are falling behind with at least one household bill as the cost of living rises. Money Box has been given an early look at the Coronavirus Financial Impact Tracker, which suggests one-in-six households are now ‘in serious financial difficulty' compared to one-in-ten in October. Debt is also climbing - particularly among people who were already struggling. We'll speak to Professor Sharon Collard from the University of Bristol, who is one of the authors of the financial impact repor

Getting a cancer diagnosis can be a scary and fraught time, before you even begin to consider the financial pressures. Affording time out of work, the cost of getting to appointments, or even the price of drugs in different parts of the country can present issues for many.Ruth Alexander is joined by a panel of experts to hear caller experiences of the costs of cancer.Panel: Ceinwen Giles - Shine Richard Pugh - MacmillanProducer: Drew Hyndman and Amber Mehmood Editor: Beatrice Pickup

From 6th July, everyone in work will see a cut in the taxes they pay. It's because the level of pay at which National Insurance begins will be raised. Two million people on part-time low pay will not pay any national insurance at all. Ministers say it's a tax cut of 330 pounds per year for a typical employee, but that is not the whole picture. The rate of national insurance rose three months ago. So this cut is in a tax that is already costing millions of workers more. We'll hear from families in Stockport on how their income is being squeezed and speak to the Minister responsible for tax policy Lucy Frazer, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.If you are a victim of crime it is most likely that your money is stolen through fraud. New figures out this week showed the amount stolen and the number of victims rose substantially last year - as they have every year that the figures have been collected. We'll get reaction from Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, Matt Parr.A new act banning ground rents for

Fraudsters are always trying to get at our money, and the pandemic has changed their tactics and their access to our data.Felicity Hannah and our expert panel discuss the latest fraud figures, how to protect yourself, what your rights are, and what to do if you're targeted by scammers.Reporter: Dan WhitworthProducer: Drew HyndmanEditor: Justin Bones and Elisabeth Mahy

Scottish Power has introduced late payments fees for its five million customers saying the move "brings us in line with other suppliers" and reflect the costs of collecting debt. The change comes at a time when consumers are facing record high energy prices with some estimates suggesting millions more households face the real prospect of falling into fuel poverty this winter.An employment tribunal rules that a man suffering from long covid is protected by the Equality Act. It means employers have to make "reasonable adjustments" in the workplace to help sufferers and could have far reaching legal implications for the estimated two million people thought to be living with long covid.We look into a listener's question about only paying for the energy she actually uses - instead of relying to estimated average payments across the year.And the Universities Minister confirms in Parliament a roll out date of 2025 for Alternative Student Finance aimed at helping muslim students with sharia compliant loans. It comes